The most common form failure.
THE RULE
Every field needs a visible label, properly associated with it.
WHAT GOES WRONG
Placeholder text used as the label. When the user types, it disappears.
Someone who pauses mid-form cannot see what a field was for. Someone using a screen reader may hear nothing.
WHY PLACEHOLDERS FAIL
They vanish on input They have poor contrast by default They are not reliably announced by assistive technology They cannot be read by someone reviewing what they typed
THE FIX
A visible label above each field, associated with it properly so clicking the label focuses the field.
Placeholders can remain as supplementary hints, not as labels.
REQUIRED FIELDS
Marked visibly and announced properly, not indicated by colour alone.
GROUPED FIELDS
Radio buttons and checkboxes belonging together need a group label, so the user knows what the set is asking.
INSTRUCTIONS
Any format requirement should be stated before the field, not only in an error afterwards.
TESTING
Click each label. The corresponding field should focus.
